And Thomas reckons it’s still the most dramatic conclusion to a league campaign 25 years on - despite Sergio Augero’s heroics for Manchester City two years ago.

Thomas said: “Not a day goes by that someone doesn’t talk to me about the goal. Everywhere I go it’s with me and I’m very proud of that. It was the highlight of my career, but it wasn’t just my achievement. It was Arsenal’s achievement. “I can remember it vividly. I made a last burst forward hoping someone would pick me out. I got a lucky bounce off Steve Nicol and then I was in on Bruce Grobbelaar. It seemed to take an age before I had the shot. Even when I see it now, I expect me to shoot sooner. When the ball hit the net it was just incredible.

“Seconds later the ref blew the whistle and we were champions. I didn’t think you could get any more dramatic. We won it on goals scored at the home of one of the best teams in the world.

“Then Sergio Aguero did a similar thing for Manchester City against QPR a couple of years ago and I thought that was even more sensational. But now I’m not so sure!

“Ours was a real title-decider between the two best teams in the league in the final game of the season. You can’t get any closer than that.”

Thomas’ goal has gone down in Gunners folklore and was ranked as the second greatest moment in Arsenal history by the club’s official website, just behind the ‘Invincibles’ and their record 49 league game unbeaten run.

But with the upcoming anniversaries of those triumphs providing fans with a reminder of former glories, the retired midfielder reckons it’s about time Arsene Wenger’s team gave them a chance to cheer a new era of success after nine years without a trophy.

“It’s all about the future now,” he said. “Our team won the title back then and the likes of Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry did it a decade ago with the ‘Invincibles’. It’s time for this current side to do it.

(Image: Getty)

“We don’t want to live in the past. Football is about here and now. The fans would love to see the team finally lift some silverware. It’s great getting into the Champions League every year but there’s nothing like winning a trophy.

“For me, there’s no doubt Arsenal can win the title this season but this is going to be a defining month. We’ll find out what this team is truly capable of.”

First up in an 11-day spell of crunch encounters is a trip to Anfield, the scene of Thomas’ finest hour in an Arsenal shirt.

It is a potential title showdown that stirs up conflicting emotions for a man who went from Kop villain to Reds hero when he swapped London for Liverpool in 1991.

“It’s always a split decision for me,” he said. “At the Emirates I cheer for Arsenal and at Anfield I shout for Liverpool. Three points apiece is the easiest way to look at it.

“There’s no doubt this one is a massive, massive game for both sides. Arsenal are top and face a real test of their credentials. But it’s not all over if they don’t get a result. For Liverpool it’s a case of win or bust.

“They are still in with a shout of winning the title. I don’t think you can write teams off when it’s quite close. Arsenal, Man City and Chelsea all have to go to Anfield, so the Reds have still got a big say in this race. I know Brendan Rodgers has said they can’t win it, but it’s usually around March/April when you start to see it really hot up.

“Liverpool score goals for fun and have a real threat. When you’ve got Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge up front you’re going to win games. My only concern is the lack of depth to their squad. At the end of the season I think everyone associated with the club would be happy if they can just get in that top four.”

(Image: Mike Hewitt)

Arsenal’s impressive season was kick-started by the September arrival of record signing, Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid.

Thomas remains confident they will continue to push for the title but has cautioned that they could end up ruing a January transfer window that ended without the Londoners adding to their firepower.

He said: “They tried to get Julian Draxler, who is a good player but they’ve got a lot of creative players. What they needed was a centre forward. They need more goals in their team. I hoped they would target a world-class striker but they didn’t get one in and it will be the main reason to point to if they come up short.

“Look at Suarez and the sensational season he is having. If he’d gone to Arsenal in the summer then they really would have goals in attack. It would have been interesting to see how Wenger would have used him.

“But he stayed at Liverpool and he could well put a dent in Arsenal’s title bid this afternoon. It’s going to be a cracking game and could prove pivotal for both sides.”